So imagine my jaw-dropping surprise when I saw a picture of the late Lucky Lee Lott in Issue 18 of Jesse James’ Garage Magazine. (Nash fans, don’t get your heart rate up. There’s no story about Lott. Only some chest thumping from Garage at Lott’s expense.)

The picture shows an older Lucky Lee behind the wheel of one of his stunt cars. A reader sent in the photo claiming that THIS is the kind of guy who reads Garage.

I laughed, and it’s all in good humor. But Garage reminds me of some nerd who has to stand in front of the mirror and tell himself every morning what a badass he is even at the expense of others (like Lucky). He can weld. He can fabricate. He has tattoos. Friends, if you have to loudly announce your garage cred to everyone who cracks the spine of your magazine, then you, sirs, are not really badasses. Just asses.